Countercurrents is an exploration of a transitional space between my warm memories of childhood and the overwhelming unknown of the future.

My first home was a small cottage about 100 feet from the shoreline on the east coast of Massachusetts. Some of my fondest childhood memories took place on this beach. The sea has always provided me a sense of grounding while growing up with divorced parents, where I had to switch homes every two days. I often relate this experience of ceaseless movement between homes to the ocean's dynamic nature. The sea constantly changes, whether it's the never-ending crashing waves against the shore or the reoccurring emergence of sands hidden by high tides. Even though this is the inherent nature of the sea, it remained a reliable presence throughout my childhood, always offering its comfort.

Living in Rochester, NY for the past three and a half years has allowed me to reflect and better appreciate the ocean's impact on me. Initially, Lake Ontario acted as a comparable yet underwhelming replacement for the sea. Throughout my time here, it has developed into a place where I could regularly return to seek that familiar comfort I knew so well as a child. However, as I've entered my last year of college, the lake has begun to feel less of a secure alternative and more like a vast transition space.